Dual string production device



Sept l'?, R. E. ANDERSON ETAL 2,806,429

DUAL STRING PRODUCTION DEVICE Filed June 4, 1956 4 o 5 w u 6 l 4 n u. AM .d .,w ...f nf 5f A2 mmm .J/ .f o 5 l a.. a -..i a s .f m 5 r 1%....1v s a ....sr.: 9.141.. n .i M a M r 4 m N H W F n u L r |1r| VW uw m 4ll. llli 2| Ndmss 1 wl n GMS. 8 *Il lll Illl1|l| .il |||.V 1| --.-'LMn.. ----v l. ...n k e... e :Wr/.Aff EMNyw 5v? ...11..111 v .Y v .h... 2"041e .u N/ 0 2 5 2 m W. .7. w 2 5 2 4 W zw m s m F 9 F. 2

2,806,429 Patented Sept. 17, 1957 DUAL STRING rRoDUcrroN DEVICE Roy E.Anderson, Beaumont, .lack L. Lambert-son, lr., Baytown, and Biily N.Russell and Samuel B. Smart, Jr., (Conroe, Tex., assignors, by mesneassignments, to Esso Research and Engineering Company, Elizabeth, N.Ji., a corporation of Delaware Application .lune 4, 1956, Serial No.539,246

7 Claims. (Cl. 103-4) The present invention is directed to apparatus forproducing fluids simultaneously from a plurality of subsurface earthformations. In its more specific aspects, the invention is directed to adevice for arrangement in a dual string well tubing. More particularly,the invention is concerned with apparatus for producing hydrocarbonsfrom a plurality of subsurface earth formations.

The present invention may be briefly described as appa ratus forarrangement in a parallel dual string of first and second well tubingsarranged in a well casing in which each of the tubings is in separatefluid communication with spaced apart hydrocarbon productive zones. Theapparatus comprises an elongated mandrel having separate means on itsupper and lower ends for connection into the first and second welltubing. Arranged in the mandrel is a tubular pocket having an open upperend communicating with the irst of the tubings and arranged on the innerwall of the mandrel such that the longitudinal axis of the pocket formsan acute angle with the longitudinal axis of the mandrel. The wall ofthe pocket and the mandrel are provided with irst and second spacedapart ports providing fluid communication with the annular space betweenthe casing and the dual string. A passageway in the lower end of thepocket communicates with the second of the tubings. Arranged in thepocket is at least one retrievable gas-lift valve in iluid communicationwith the annular space through one of the ports and with one of thetubings. Means are provided on the inner wall of the mandrel above thepocket for guiding the gas-lift valve into the pocket. The gassliftvalve may suitably comprise rst and second interconnected retrievablegas-lift valves provided with means on the outer surface for sealing orisolating the ports from each other and for isolating the passagewayfrom the rst tubing. The gas-lift valve may comprise a blank valve, suchthat one of the ports is closed oif completely from one of the tubings.Where a blank valve is arranged in the gas-lift valve, it may beprovided to seal or close the upper or the lower of the ports. In fact,prior to running in the gas-lift valve of the present invention in thepocket, it may be desirable to provide therein blank or dummy valveswhich serve to close oil both of the ports to both of the tubingstrings.

The present invention is of considerable utility and advantage becauseit allows provision of gas-lift valves in a mandrel connected into dualtubing strings for simultaneous production from both of the tubingstrings or for production from only one or a selected of the tubingstrings. For example, production may be obtained through one of thetubing strings with a device of the present invention while one of thezones is being serviced. The invention also provides a considerablesaving in equipment and time for installing the device and for runningin the gas-lift valves.

The present invention will be further illustrated by reference to thedrawing in which:

Fig. l is a sectional view showing the mandrel with interconnectedretrievable gas-lift valves arranged in the pocket;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2 2 of Fig. l with thegas-lift valve removed;

Fig. 3 is a partial sectional view of the gas-lift valve of Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is a view showing the mandrel and the dual tubing string arrangedin a well casing.

Referring now to the drawing in which identical `numerals will beemployed to designate identical parts and particularly to Figs. l Vand2, numeral 11 designates a mandrel adapted to be connected into the dualtubing strings. The mandrel 11 is provided with threaded connections 12and 13 on its upper end for connecting into the tubing strings and withthreaded connections 14 and 15 also for connecting into the tubingstrings on its lower end.

Connected to the inner wall of the mandrel 11 is a gas-lift valve pocket16 having an open upper end 17 and provided with a passageway 18 on itslower end. The wall 19 of the mandrel 11 is provided with spaced apartports 20 and 22 which communicate with the annulus A between the casingand dual string of tubings which will be described in more detailhereinafter. The wall 23 of the gas-lift valve pocket 16 is providedwith spaced apart ports 24 and 25 which communicate with ports 20 and22.

Arranged in the pocket 16, as shown in Fig. l, is a gas-lift valveassembly 26 which is comprised of gas-lift valves 27 and 23. Thegas-lift valve assembly 26 has a fishing neck 29 provided with a fishinghead 30 which is engageable with a wire line fishing tool, not shown,and is provided with spaced apart packing or sealing means 3l, 32, and33. The sealing means 32 isolates the ports 20 and 22, whereas thesealing means 31 and 33 isolate the assembly 26 from the dual stringwhich will be described further.

The pocket 16 is provided with a guide member 16a which serves to guidethe gas-lift valve assembly 26 into the pocket 16. A suitablepositioning tool, such as that described in the 1952-53 edition of theComposite Catalog of Gil Field and Pipe Line Equipment at page 995, maybe used to position assembly 26 in the pocket 16.

It is to be noted especially with respect to Fig. 2 that the mandrel 11provides a passageway 34- and 35 with one passageway communicating withone of the dual strings of tubing and the other passageway communicatingwith the other of the dual strings of tubing as will be described.

Referring now to Fig. 3, it will be seen. that the gaslift assembly 26is comprised of two gas-lift valves 27 and 28 which are interconnectedby a threaded sleeve 36 which engages with mating threads 37 and 38 ofthe valves 27 and 2S, respectively. The threaded sleeve 36 provides arecess 39 to receive the packing member 32.

The gas-lift valve 23 has a bellows arrangement 40 which may suitablyinclude an internal spring, not shown, which is operably connected by apiston arm 41 to a seating member 42 which is designed to seat on seat43 and close the passageway ifi leading through the valve 28 andcommunicating with passageway 13.

The valve 28 is provided with ports i5 which cornmunicate with port 25and 22 and thence with annulus A.

The packing member 33 is arranged in a recess 46 on the surface of thevalve 28.

The valve 27 is similarly constructed to the valve 28 and is providedwith bellows and spring arrangement 40 and also with a piston arm 41 andseating member 42 which is designed to seat on seat 43 and close oipassageway 47 which extends through the fishing neck 29 and fishing head30.

Like valve 2S, valve 27 is provided with ports 45 which communicate withports 24 and 20 and thence with annulus A.

The packing member 31 is also arranged in a recess, such as 46.

Referring now to Fig. 4, it will be seen that the mandrel 11 isVconnected into a first tubing string Sti by a suitable connection means,such as a pipe collar 5l, and is connected into a second tubing string52 by means of a connection, suchasv pipe collar 53. Mandrel 11 is connected also intothe tubing strings S0 and 52 on the lower end of themandrelvbyconnections 54v and 55. The tubing strings 5,0 and 52 extendupwardly through the casing 56 to the surface of the` earth, not shown,and downwardly through the casing 56 to communicate with a plurality ofspaced apart hydrocarbon productive zones, intervals, horizons, strata,formations, and the like (also not shown) from which hydrocarbons, suchas oil and/or gas, may be produced. The casing 56 is suitably cementedin the well bore 57 by primary cement 58.

Itis to be understood, of course, that the casing 56 and cement 58 willbe suitably perforated in the hydrocarbon productive zones from whichthe production is to be had.

In employing the device of the present invention a plurality ofmandrels, such as l1, are connected into the tubing strings and arrangedat spaced apart intervals therein as may be desired. The dual stringmandrels in thetubings will be run into the well casing with doubleblanks arranged in the valve pocket 16 until need for actual gas liftingarises. Thereafter, the double blanks or dummies are retrieved andeither a Ablank or a valve suitably interconnected is installed in thepocket i6 or a double valve, such as 26, is run in and arranged in thepocket '16. When the double valves are employed, the upper valves, suchas Z7, will receive gas through the ports 20 and will inject gas intothe tubing 5t) through the passageway 47. The lower valve 28 willreceive Vgas through the ports 22 and discharge gas through thepassageway 44'and 18 into the tubing 52.

The gas-lift valves on one of the tubing strings 50 or 52 may be casingpressure operated valves while the gaslift valves. for the other of thetubing string may be fiuid operated valves which may permit lifting bothzones simultaneously at individual depths resulting from chang-V ingbottom hole conditions.

The present invention provides a mandrel and gas-lift valve installationwhich permit simultaneous intermittent fiow or any `combination ofconstant flow and intermittent installations with the required number ofmandrels. Thus with six gaslift mandrels, such as 1l, and a suitablegaswlift valve, an exceedingly more versatile installation may lbeobtained than is currently being obtained with ten of the conventionalmandrels employed in a hydrocarbon productive oil field in Texas. Itwill lbe seen, therefore, that the present invention is quiteadvantageous.

The gas-lift valves 27 and 28 are suitably biased into the closedposition by the bellows and spring arrangement 40 and are opened bypressure building up in the tubing to overcome the force exerted by thebellows and spring arrangement 46. T he valves are open when thehydrostatic head in the tubing overcomes the force of the bellows andspring arrangement 40 which then allows gas to be bled into the tubinglightening the column and causing the valve to close; then the cycle isrepeated.

The nature and objects of the present invention having been completelydescribed and illustrated, what we wish to claim as lnew and useful andto secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for arrangement in a parallel dual string of first andsecond well tubing arranged in a well casing in which each of saidtubings is in separate fluid communication with spaced apart hydrocarbonproductive zones which comprises lan elongated mandrel having separate.means on its upper and lower ends for connectioninto. said-tubings,V anelongated tubular pocket having an open upper end communicating with thefirst of said tubings arranged on the inner wall of said mandrel suchthat the longitudinal axis of the pocket forms an acute angle with thelongitudinal axis of the mandrel, the wall of said pocket and saidmandrel having first and second spaced apart ports providing fiuidcommunication with the annular space between the casing and the dualstring, and a passageway in the lower end of said pocket communicatingwith the second of said tubings. p

2. Apparatus for arrangement in a parallel dual string of first andsecond well tubing arranged in a well casing in which each of saidtubings is in separate fluid communication with spaced apart hydrocarbonproductive zones which comprises an elongated mandrel having separatemeans on its upper and lower ends for connection into said tubings, anelongated tubular pocket having an open upper end communicating with thefirst of said tubings arranged on the inner wall of said mandrel suchthat the longitudinal axisl of the pocket forms an acute angle with thelongitudinal axis of the mandrel, the wall of said pocket and saidmandrel having first and second spaced apart ports providing fluidcommunicationA with the annular space between the casing and the dualstring, a passageway in the lower end of said pocket communicating withthe second of said tubings, and means on the inner wall of said mandrelpocket for guiding a gas lift valve into said pocket.

3. Apparatus for arrangement in a parallel dual string of first andsecond well tubing arranged in a well casing in which each of saidtubings is in separate fluid communication wtih spaced apart hydrocarbonproductive Zones which comprises an elongated mandrel having separatemeans on its upper and lower ends for connection into. said tubings, anelongated tubular pocket; having an. open upper end communicating withthe first of said tubings arranged on the inner' wall of said mandrelsuch that the longitudinal axis of the pocket forms an acute angle withthe longitudinal axis of the mandrel, the Wall of said pocket and saidmandrel having first and second spaced apart ports providing iuid communicaticn with the annular space between the casing and the dual string,a passageway in the lower end ofsaid pocket communicating with thesecond of said tubings,

and at least one retrievable gas lift valve arranged in said pocket influid communication with the annular space through one of said ports andwith one of said tubings.

4. Apparatus for arrangement in a parallel dual string of first andsecond well tubing arranged in a. well casing in which each of saidtubings is in separate tiuid communication with spaced apart hydrocarbonproductive zones which comprises an elongated mandrel having separatemeans on its upper and lower ends for connection into said tubings, anelongated tubular pocket having an open upper end communicating with thefirst of said tubings arranged on the inner wall of said mandrel suchthat the longitudinal axis of the pocket forms an acute angle with thelongitudinal axis of the mandrel, the wall of said pocket and saidmandrel having first and second spaced apart ports providing fiuidcommunication with the annular space between the casing and the dualstring, and` a passageway in the lower end of said pocket communicatingwith the second of said tubings, at least one retrievable gas lift valvearranged in said pocket in fluid communication with the annular spacethrough one of said ports and with one of said tubings, and meanscarried by said gas lift valve for isolating said port and said tubingsfrom each other.

5. Apparatus for arrangement in a parallel dual string of first andsecond well tubing arranged in a well casing in which each of saidtubings is in separate fluid communication with spaced apart hydrocarbonproductive zones which comprises anV elongated mandrel having s separatemeans on its upper and lower ends for connection into. said tubings, anelongated tubular pocket h av ing an open upper end communicating withthe first of said tubings arranged on the inner wall of said mandrelsuch that the longitudinal axis of the pocket forms an acute angle withthe longitudinal axis of the mandrel, the wall of said pocket and saidmandrel having lirst and second spaced apart ports providing fluidcommunication with the annular Space between the casing and the dualstring, a passageway in the lower end of said pocket communicating withthe second of said tubings, and iirst and second interconnectedretrievable gas lift valves arranged in said pocket with the first gaslift valve in fluid communication with the annular space through thefirst port and the second gas lift valve in iiuid communication with theannular space through the second of said ports, said lirst gas liftvalve communicating uidly with the rst tubing and said second gas liftvalve cornmunicating fluidly with the second tubing.

6. Apparatus for arrangement in a parallel dual string of rst and secondwell tubing arranged in a well casing in which each of said tubings isin separate Huid communication with spaced apart hydrocarbon productivezones which comprises an elongated mandrel having separate means on itsupper and lower ends for connection into said tubings, an elongatedtubular pocket having an open upper end communicating with the rst ofsaid tubings arranged on the inner wall of said mandrel such that thelongitudinal axis of the pocket forms an acute angle with thelongitudinal axis of the mandrel, the wall of said pocket and saidmandrel having first and second spaced apart ports providing fluidcommunication with the annular space between the casing and the dualstring, a passageway in the lower end of said pocket communicating withthe second of said tubings, and iirst and second interconnectedretrievable gas lift valves arranged in said pocket with the first gaslift valve in uid communication with the annular space through the firstport and the second gas lift valve in liuid communication with theannular space through the second of said ports, means carried by saidgas lift valves for isolating said ports from each other and forisolating said passageway from said iirst tubing, said first gas lif-tvalve communicating fluidly with the irst tubing and said second gaslift valve communicating tluidly with the second tubing.

7. Apparatus for arrangement in a parallel dual string of tirst andsecond well tubing arranged in a well casing in which each of saidtubings is in separate Huid communication with spaced apart hydrocarbonproductive zones which comprises an elongated mandrel having separatemeans on its upper and lower ends for connection into said tubings, anelongated tubular pocket having an open upper end communicating with therst of said tubings arranged on the inner wall of said mandrel such thatthe longitudinal axis of the pocket forms an acute angle with thelongitudinal axis of the mandrel, the wall of said pocket and saidmandrel having tirst and second spaced apart ports providing uidcommunication with the annular space between the casing and the dualstring, a passageway in the lower end of said pocket communicating withthe second of said tubings, at least one retrievable gas lift valvearranged in said pocket in uid communication with the annular spacethrough one of said ports and with one of said tubings, and means on theinner wall of said mandrel for guiding said gas lift valve into s-aidpocket.

No references cited.

